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58 UCLA L. Rev. 725 (2010-2011)
The Need for a Research Culture in the Forensic Sciences

handle is hein.journals/uclalr58 and id is 731 raw text is: THE NEED FOR A RESEARCH CULTURE IN THE FORENSIC SCIENCES Jennifer L. Mnookin, Simon A. Cole, Itiel E. Dror, Barry A. J. Fisher, Max M. Houck, Keith Inman, David H. Kaye, Jonathan J. Koehler, Glenn Langenburg, D. Michael Risinger, Norah Rudin, Jay Siegel, and David A. Stoney The methods, techniques, and reliability of the forensic sciences in general, and the pattern identification disciplines in particular, have faced significant scrutiny in recent years. Critics have attacked the scientific basis for the assumptions and claims made by forensic scientists both in and out of the courtroom. Defenders have emphasized courts' longstanding acceptance of forensic science evidence, the relative dearth of known errors, and practitioners' skill and experience. This Article reflects an effort made by a diverse group of participants in these debates, including law professors, academics from several disciplines, and practicing forensic scientists, to find and explore common ground. To what extent do the forensic sciences need to change in order to place themselves on an appropriately secure foundation in the twenty- first century? We all firmly agree that the traditional forensic sciences in general, and the pattern identification disciplines, such as fingerprint, firearm, toolmark, and * Jennifer L. Mnookin, Professor of Law, Founding Co-Director of the Program on Law, Science, and Evidence (PULSE), UCLA School of Law; Simon A. Cole, Associate Professor, Department of Criminology, Law & Society, UC Irvine; Itiel E. Dror, Researcher, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College, London, and Principal Consultant, Cognitive Consultants International (CCI); Barry A. J. Fisher, Crime Laboratory Director (retired), Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department; Max M. Houck, Director, Forensic Science Initiative, Research Office, and Director, Forensic Business Research and Development, College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University; Keith Inman, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Administration, Cal State University, East Bay, and Senior Criminalist, Forensic Analytical Sciences, Inc.; David H. Kaye, Distinguished Professor and Weiss Family Scholar, Dickinson School of Law, and Graduate Faculty, Forensic Science Program, Eberly College of Science, Penn State University; Jonathan J. Koehler, Beatrice Kuhn Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law; Glenn Langenburg, Forensic Scientist, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Forensic Science Services; D. Michael Risinger, John J. Gibbons Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law; Norah Rudin, Forensic DNA Consultant; Jay Siegel, Chair, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Director, Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program, Indiana University-Purdue University; David A. Stoney, Chief Scientist, Stoney Forensic, Inc. This Article grew out of a conference held at the UCLA School of Law in February 2010 under the auspices of PULSE. We thank the UCLA School of Law and the A. Barry & Lori Cappello Fund for funding this event. We also thank Forrest Havens and Julie Nicholson for helpful research assistance. Special thanks to Jerry Kang for his extraordinary mindmapping of the authors' working session during the conference. We would also like to thank the additional participants in the PULSE symposium, as well as the thoughtful commentators who have responded to this Article in this issue. 725

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